• by Karl Greenberg , June 6, 2007

Anheuser-Busch is applying its beer-industry development effort, "Here's to Beer," to Father's Day. The company, which last year launched the campaign to promote the art, beauty, social graces and sanguinary virtues of the amber ambrosia, is hoping people think of beer when they start shopping for Father's Day gifts.

"Father's Day has been an American tradition for nearly a century, but the tradition of celebrating good times, good friends and good family over a beer is as old as the country itself," says Bob Lachky, executive vice president/global industry development, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. in a release. "We're encouraging adult sons and daughters to raise a glass with dad; and if you can't have one with him, have one for him."

As part of the effort, the company is distributing to beer stores and taverns DVD copies of "The American Brew" an hour-long movie commissioned by A-B and filmed by Roger Sherman. It first aired on April 7--the 74th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition--on A&E channel, and is now on sale on DVD.

The special-edition DVD includes 42 minutes of extra footage and interviews for $5.49. The company is also selling the DVD at herestobeer.com , which the company brought online when it launched the effort last year.

A-B will run a full-page ad on June 14 in USA Today. The global brand campaign also includes a series of grassroots efforts to tout the virtues of beer. The company says the efforts are strategically aimed at boosting the social value of beer in "bringing people together in an unpretentious way"; adding an aura of romance to the brewer's craft, promoting its natural ingredients and highlighting beer's limpid beauty; and "encouraging adult consumers to view beer differently."

The company says it has garnered more than 100,000 hits per month on the HerestoBeer.com site since it launched. In March, A-B redesigned the site, adding short humorous films about famous beer drinkers through time.

A market observer notes that a number of brewers was supposed to carry the ball on the "Here's to Beer" effort but A-B didn't get much support.

"It's driven by the notion that beer is losing ground to wine and spirits--that beer is not 'cool' any more compared to cocktails, tequilas and the like," he says, adding that, ironically, microbreweries, imports and various craft brews are having no problem in this regard. "Other major domestics may be in the same boat as A-B but aren't about to funnel funds to an A-B-led marketing initiative."